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Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. A total of 385 girls under the age of 14 became pregnant between 1998 and 2007.
The Times
The Times
Lifestyles / Relationships
Teen Dad - Alfie the 13 year old Dad
Loretta D'Souza
Published on: February 18th, 2009
The papers have been showered with pictures of the teen father who at the age of thirteen has become one of Britain’s youngest fathers. The pictures show another classic case of how society and the system have let down children and again, raise questions on teenage pregnancies.
Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. A total of 385 girls under the age of 14 became pregnant between 1998 and 2007. (The Times Newspaper).
It seems the focus will be on sex education in schools, including primary schools informing teens that sex is not just a casual thing, but a meaningful relationship between two people that love each other. It has also been suggested that parents who have had children in their teens, visit schools to talk openly and guide children about what it really means to be a parent at such a young age. The discussion will further explore the relationships the new parents face and how very young dads lack the emotional maturity to understand what their partner may be going through during and after the birth as well as the emotional rollercoaster the mother may face.
Thirteen year old Alfie Patten, said,
“We wanted to have the baby but were worried about how people would react. I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.” (The Sun Newspaper).
As genuine and sentimental he sounds, it seems that he doesn’t know what lies ahead of him. No longer will he have a childhood that he can call his own. It will be taken up by changing nappies and providing some sort of financial support and love for his daughter. Gone are the days of hanging out with mates and fooling around on the play station and just doing the everyday teenage things that teenagers do.
How will fatherhood affect his schooling and will there be time to commit to studies and if so, who will be left holding the baby, so to speak?
The message is that responsible parenting is more important than ever before. Alfie’s naivety only shows that he has no ideal of what is to come and what he has given up. If he is the father of baby Masie, which is another issue that has now arisen, then, the best way forward is to educate the parents.
The Institiute of Wellbeing offer Positive Fathering and Positive Parenting programmes visit http://www.maximisedtraining.com/courses to find out more.
Britain has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Western Europe. A total of 385 girls under the age of 14 became pregnant between 1998 and 2007. (The Times Newspaper).
It seems the focus will be on sex education in schools, including primary schools informing teens that sex is not just a casual thing, but a meaningful relationship between two people that love each other. It has also been suggested that parents who have had children in their teens, visit schools to talk openly and guide children about what it really means to be a parent at such a young age. The discussion will further explore the relationships the new parents face and how very young dads lack the emotional maturity to understand what their partner may be going through during and after the birth as well as the emotional rollercoaster the mother may face.
Thirteen year old Alfie Patten, said,
“We wanted to have the baby but were worried about how people would react. I didn’t know what it would be like to be a dad. I will be good, though, and care for it.” (The Sun Newspaper).
As genuine and sentimental he sounds, it seems that he doesn’t know what lies ahead of him. No longer will he have a childhood that he can call his own. It will be taken up by changing nappies and providing some sort of financial support and love for his daughter. Gone are the days of hanging out with mates and fooling around on the play station and just doing the everyday teenage things that teenagers do.
How will fatherhood affect his schooling and will there be time to commit to studies and if so, who will be left holding the baby, so to speak?
The message is that responsible parenting is more important than ever before. Alfie’s naivety only shows that he has no ideal of what is to come and what he has given up. If he is the father of baby Masie, which is another issue that has now arisen, then, the best way forward is to educate the parents.
The Institiute of Wellbeing offer Positive Fathering and Positive Parenting programmes visit http://www.maximisedtraining.com/courses to find out more.
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